Self-attaching patch for wire cloth or screens



ay 19, 1942- I r s. R. GITTENS 2,283,803 Y SELF ATTACHING PATCH FOR WIRECLDTH QR SCREENS Filed June 26, 1941 ATTORNEY.

Patented May 19, 1942 umrso STATES, PATENT OFFIQE SELF-ATTACHING PATCHFOR WIRE CLOTH R SCREENS Sidney It. Gittens, Philadelphia, Pa.Application June 26, 1941, Serial No. 399,795

9 Claims. gel. 156-14) My invention relates to an article ofmanufacture, more particularly to a simple and inexpensive patch to beused in the repair of screens of woven wire cloth, wire fabric, and thelike.

It is an object of my invention to provide a patch which may be easilyand readily applied to a hole or rupture in a screen and. which besidesaccomplishing the effective repair of the screen presents a neatappearance.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a self-attachingpatch, made entirely from resilient woven wire, which may be of the sameor of a different character than that of the screen to be mended, andwhich may be readily made by relatively inexpensive dies.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a patch, formed ofwoven wire, with a plurality of out-turned hooks pre-formed from thewires of the patch, the hooks being disposed along opposite edges andarranged for encirclement or interlocking engagement with wires of thescreen to be mended for the secure engagement of the patch thereto.

The protection ailorded by the use of window screens, screen doors, andthe like, is wholly defeated if through accident, or otherwise, thewoven material is pierced or ruptured to an extent to leave an openinglarge enough through which insects may pass. Numerous schemes forpatching screens have been devised. For example, it has been suggestedthat re-enforcing rings be covered with woven wire, the rings themselvescarrying protruding elements which are to be bent around wires of thescreen. It has also been su gested that clamps of the safety pin type beused to hold the patch in place and specially woven wire mesh has alsobeen proposed, where, after application of the patch to the screen to bemended the individual wires of the patch are to be bent into a holdingposition. In accord with another suggestion, after wires of the patchhave been woven into the screen the ends of the wires of the patch arethen to be bent around wires of the screen to be mended.

The devices of the past all appear to require operations on both sidesof the screen to be mended and upon both the patch and screen afterapplication of the patch thereto, and all fail to provide a patch, allthe attaching elements of which are pre-formed and always ready foractive engagement with the screen to be mended.

The present invention is a further improvement over patches of the typeshown in my copending application Serial Number 375,153, filed January21, 1941, now Patent No. 2,272,196, is-

sued Feb. 10, 1942, and entitled Self-attaching patch for wire cloth orscreens.

In carrying out my invention in one form thereof,. attaching elementsare preferably located 3 along opposite edges of the patch with aspacing such that after final attachment of the patch they are inposition for engagement with wires of the screen to be mended. Thegripping or attaching means preferably comprise a series of out-turnedhooks or elements formed from the ends of a number or all of the wiresof the patch, the individual hooks or elements extending at an obtuseangle to the plane of the patch and outturned away from the patchproper. The attaching elements along one side of the patch are disposedindividually to engage one wire of the screen to be mended. ,Theattaching elements along the other edge of the patch require the patchto be temporarily deformed to shorten the distance between said oppositeedges before entry of the elements into the screen to be mended. Afterentry of said elements the patch is released and the resilience thereofcauses it to resume its flat shape and to move the attaching elementsbeneath and into attaching position or interlocking engagement with awire of the screen to be mended. The ends of the wires at the remainingedges of the patch are preferably bent toward the screen to be mended,effectively to provide intimate engagement of the entire periphery ofthe patch with the screen to be mended. The generally concave shape ofthe patch further eliminates all sharp edges and provides a patch whichis smooth and which does not leave any sharp edges on either side of thescreen to be mended. The resilience of the generally concave shape ofthe patch makes possible the shortening of the distance between theattaching elements and after application to the screen the lengtheningof that distance to maintain the attaching elements in screen-grippingor interlocking engagement.

For a more complete understanding of my invention, reference should nowbe had to the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fractional elevation of a window screen with a hole in needof repair;

Fig. 2 is ,an enlarged fractional elevation of one end of the patchshowing the first position of the patch as it is applied to a screen;

Figs. 3t0 5, inclusive, are enlarged sectional views of the patch andscreen to be mended, and respectively show the patch in differentpositions during its application to the screen; r

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the patch and screen, taken atright angles to the section shown in Figs. 2 to 5, which shows theremaining sides of the patch after application of the patch to thescreen; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view showing a modified construction ofthe patch.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown my invention in one form asapplied to a screen I0, carried by a frame II, which may be mounted inthe usual way in a window frame (not shown). The screen I is shown witha hole I2 which is to be repaired. Holes of this character frequentlyappear in screens and they are caused by a wide variety of accidents:from objects thrown therethrough, children at play, rust, and by roughhandling of the screens when they are taken from or placed in storageover the winter months.

While I have illustrated my invention as applied to a window screen, itis to be understood that it is not limited thereto since it may beapplied to the repair of woven wire or woven cloth of widely differingcharacter.

The article of manufacture comprising the primary subject matter of myinvention consists of the patch I3, formed from woven wire of limitedarea, to which there need be added no fastening means other than thosewhich are preformed from, and made an integral part of, the woven-wirepatch itself. More particularly, from a plurality of the ends of thewires of the patch I3 at the periphery or perimeter thereof, there areformed individual attaching elements which serve to hold the patch inplace against the screen ID to be mended. Each of these elements has aportion disposed for engagement with a wire of the screen to be mendedand which opposes withdrawal therefrom efiectively to hold the patch inplace. In the preferred form of my invention, these elements may be inthe form of out-turned hooks, or hook-like elements, spaced from theplane of the patch. Thus at the left-hand side of the patch as viewed inFigs. 3-5, hooks I 4 are formed from the end of every wire along thatside of the patch. Similarly, the hooks I5 are formed from the end ofevery wire along the opposite side of the patch I3.

In the illustrated form of the invention, the patch I3 has been madefrom Wire cloth having sixteen mesh or openings to the inch. The patch,shown enlarged, is about one and one-half inches square although, aswill be later explained, it may be made in many different sizes.Preferably it is made from bronze-wire cloth, or material withconsiderable resiliency or elasticity. In Fig. 5, the patch I3 is spacedabove the screen I0, also of 16-mesh wire cloth. To simplify thedrawing, Figs. 2-7, only one of the two cross wires of the screen hasbeen illustrated, while the two cross-wires I6 and I1 and the two warpwires I8 and I9 of the patch are shown in Figs. 2-7, inclusive.

As will be seen from Fig. 6, the ends of the warp wires along the twosides or edges of the patch are bent toward each other and away from theplane of the patch to form a series of resilient arms or elements and 2|along the respective left and right hand sides of the patch as viewed inFig. 6. Thus the patch I3 is concave in shape and has provided at itsperiphery attaching elements I4 and I5, and resilient arms or elements20 and 2I.

To repair a screen, the patch I3 is centered over the opening or holetherein, and one end, such as the left end as viewed in Fig. 3, isbrought tion shown in Figs. 3, 5, 6, and 7. Thus after into a positionsuch that the hooks I4 pass through the mesh of the screen III to bemended. This is best done by placing the patch I3 in the position shownin Fig. 2, in which position the open ends of out-turned hooks I4readily pass through the mesh of the screen. From the position in Fig.2, the patch is now swung in a clockwise direction, the hooks I4 servingas hinge-elements. During rotation of the patch, the hooks move intoencircling position around a wire 22 of screen II] as shown in Figs. 4and 5.

If rotation of the patch I3 were continued, the attaching elements orout-turned hooks I5 would come to rest against and across a wire 23 ofthe screen I0. As shown in Fig. 4, however, the body portion of thepatch is now flexed, bowed or arched to shorten the distance between thetwo sides of the patch, thereby to bring the elements I5 to the left ofwire 23. This bowing or bending may be readily accomplished by holdingthe center of the patch upwardly between the thumb and finger andpressing down on the side of the patch adjacent elements I5. The patchmay also be made to assume its bowed position by sliding a straightedge,such as a piece of cardboard, against the shank-portions I5a of elementsI5. v

Since the patch I3 is of bronze wire, the spring or resilience thereofcauses the patch to return from its bowed position to its normal flatposithe elements I5 are pushed through the openings of the screen, theresilience straightens the patch, lengthens the distance between theelements I4 and I5, and moves out-turned hooks I5 into thewire-encircling positions as shown in Fig. 5.

At the same time the resilient arms 20 and. 2| engage the screen to bemended or at least nest therein to complete the effective repair of thehole I2 in the screen Ill.

It will be observed the out-turned hooks I4 have relatively short shanksI Ia as compared with shanks I5a of hooks I5; this for the purpose ofproducing a patch which in its final position, Figs. 5 and 6, restsagainst and merges with the screen III to be mended. In its snuglyfitting final position, the patch practically rests against screen It.The short shanks Ita contribute to this desirable result. However, by acorresponding lengthening of the opposite shanks I5a, and by having theattaching elements out-turned and spring pressed into screen engagingpositions, the patch is easily applied to the screen ID to be mended orrepaired. That is, shanks Ida need not bend since the necessaryresiliency is obtained by bowing the patch and the longershanks I5a alsomay be deflected from their normal positions for insertion of the hooksI5 through the screen. Moreover, by reason of the outturned hooks thecost of dies for making the patch is considerably less than for the morecomplicated collapsible dies needed for in-turned hooks.

In accord with my present invention in which the resilience of the patchas a whole is used to exert a biasing force which resists movement ofthe attaching elements from their screen gripping positions, it ispossible, Fig. 7, to provide the modified patch I311 with inclined armsor elements 25 and 25 which by the movement of the patch from a bowedposition as shown in Fig. 4 to that of Fig. 7, will move the inclinedelements 25 and 26 below and under wires 22 and 23 of the screen. Theextreme ends of elements 25 and 26 are preferably bent outwardly, or ina direction parallel with'the plane of the screen I and of the patch l3ato eliminate sharp edges. The opposite sides of the patch may beprovided with arms 20 and 2l,"Fig. 6. The resilience of the patchopposes withdrawal of elements 25 and 26 and they effectively hold thepatch [3a in position;

In the normal or final position of the patch l3, Fig. 5, it will beobserved the ends of the hooks l4 and i5 have moved into the body of thescreen 10. That is, the ends of the hooks do not protrude from thescreen Ii! but'are disposed between the outer planes of it. Similarly,Fig.6, the ends of the arms 20 and 21 do not protrude and there are nosharp edges anywhere along the perimeter of the patch [3.

While the drawing is not to scale, a relative idea of the proportioningof the parts may be obtained by keeping in mind the fact the patch i3 isapproximately one and one-half inches square. Since the screen It! is of16-mesh wire cloth the distance between wires 22 and 23 is exactly oneand one-half inches-though the patch may be made larger if desired.Exact dimensions need not be given since considerable latitude ispermissible in the proportioning of the parts.

Though the actual dimensions of the hooks i4 and I5 and the arms 20, 2|,25, and 26 are very small indeed, I have found that the attachingelements and arms may be uniformly made and the patch may be easilyapplied to the repair of screens.

Wire cloth of the foregoing type is manufactured and sold in rolls ofdifferent widths. The long wires or those'extending lengthwise of thecloth are called the warp wires, while those that extend across thecloth are called the crosswires. A characteristic of woven wire or wirecloth is the remarkable accuracy of the spacing of the warp wires. Thecrosswires are not spaced so accurately and the variation may in an inchbe as much as a sixteenth of an inch as between cloth of differentmanufacture. In consequence, the patch is preferably applied to thescreen so that the hooks I4 and I5 engage the warp wires thereof whichin nearly all makes will be evenly spaced and in position to be engagedby the gripping elements or hooks, as previously described. However, thepatch I3 may be applied either to the crosswires or the warp wires butthe latter are preferred for the reasons given.

Now that the principles of my invention have been explained it will beapparent many modifications may be made. For example, the arms 20 and 2|may be omitted entirely or they may be formed into gripping ends such asinto hooks l4 and !5. Or, there may be a less number of hooks I4 and I5along opposite sides of the patch. However, I prefer that there shall beat least two hooks at opposite sides of the patch l3. Additional hooksmay also be provided in lieu of certain of the arms 29 and 2! although Ido not now prefer such a construction. A patch may also be made without-turned hooks [4 along one side thereof and with attaching elements26 along the opposite side thereof, or vice versa.

In accord with my invention the patch may be of any size. In general aone inch, a one and onehalf, and a two inch patch will take care of mostholes that may occur in screens. By making patches of the foregoingsizes or multiples thereof, a patch of selected weave, one of 14, 16,18, or 20 mesh, can be applied to a screen or wire cloth of selectedweave, one of l4, 16, 18, or 20 mesh, or any multiple thereof sincethere will be present below the hooks at opposite sides of the patch,warp wires of the screen to be engaged thereby. The foregoing is madepossible by the fact wire cloth is made with reference to the number ofmesh to the inch. A warp wire is located at every half inch across thescreen. Thus, there will always be a warp wire at the beginning and endof every inch regardless of mesh, and a patch of any mesh, if its hooksare spaced apart a half inch or an even multiple thereof will beuniversally applicable to wire cloth of widely differing types andweaves. In the preferred form of my invention the attaching elements areformed from the ends of the cross wires and the resilient arms areformed by or from the ends of warp wires.

In all forms of my invention, a patch is provided which is low in cost,neat in appearance, and which effects a permanent and satisfactoryrepair of holes in woven wire cloth. There are no sharp projecting endsto catch in clothing or which may be used to pull the patch from thescreen.

While I have shown particular embodiments of my invention, it will beunderstood that I do not limit myself thereto, since many modificationsmay be made, and I therefore contemplate by the appended claims to coverany such modifications as fell within the spirit and scope of myinvention.

What I claim is:

1. Means for repairing wire cloth, comprising a patch of wire cloth, anumber of the ends of the wires at the perimeter thereof terminating inpreformed out-turned hooks for interlocking engagement with wires of thecloth to be repaired.

2. A patch for wire cloth, comprising Woven wire of limited area, theends of a plurality of the wires at opposite edges thereof preformedinto out-turned hooks, the hooks alone one of said opposite edges whenengaged with one of the wires of the screen to be mended forming a hingefor rotation of the patch toward the screen to be mended, and the hooksat the other of said opposite edges having a spacing which requiresbowing of the patch to bring them into wire-engaging position withanother of the wires of the screen to be mended.

3. A patch for screens of woven wire, comprising woven resilient wire oflimited area, the ends of a number of the wires at opposite sidesthereof preformed into attaching elements disposed for passage throughmesh of the screen to be mended, and each of which elements includes aportion disposed to engage a wire of the screen to be mended and toresist withdrawal therefrom, said elements along at least one of saidsides being out-turned, the spacing between said elements at saidopposite sides being such that after said elements at one of said sidesinterlock with one of the wires of the screen to be mended and the patchis rotated toward the screen to be mended, the elements at said oppositeside being insertable through the screen to come into wire-' engagingand interlocking position with another of the wires of the screen to bemended only after the distance between said sides is temporarilyshortened by a flexing of the patch for movement of said elementsthrough the screen andinto interlocking position, the resilience of saidwoven wire thereafter exerting a force to oppose movement of saidelements from their said interlocking wire-engaging position.

4. A patch for screens of woven wire, compris-- ing woven wire oflimited area, a number of the ends of the wires at opposite sidesthereof preformed to provide a plurality of out-turned wireengaginghooks, the hooks at one of said sides being spaced from the hooks at theother of said opposite sides for the engagement thereby of a screen ofselected weave, and the ends of the wires at the remaining sides of thepatch being inclined slightly from the plane of the patch in the samedirection as the hooks so that after engagement of said out-turned hookswith wires of the screen to be mended, the said inclined portions nestwithin the woven wire of the screen to produce a patch which issnugly-fitted throughout the perimeter thereof.

5. Means for repairing wire cloth, comprising a patch of resilient wirecloth the ends of the wires along opposite edges thereof preformed intoattaching elements disposed at an obtuse angle to the plane of thepatch, the distance between said elements along said opposite edgesrequiring a temporary shortening of that distance for insertion of saidelements into wire-engaging position with the cloth to be repaired, andthe resiliency of said patch resisting movement of said elements fromtheir said wire-engaging positions and against movement to produce saidtemporary shortening of said distance between said elements.

6. Means for repairing wire cloth, comprising a patch of resilient wirecloth, each of a number of the ends of wire along one side thereofpreformed into out-turned hooks, and each of a number of the ends of thewires along the opposite side thereof preformed into out-turned hooks,the shanks of which are materially longer than those of said first-namedhooks.

7. Means for repairing wire cloth, comprising a patch of wire cloth, anumber of the ends of the wires at the perimeter thereof disposed toextend through the cloth to be repaired and outturned to presentshoulder-portions for engagement with wires of the cloth to be repairedand to resist withdrawal therefrom.

8. Means for repairing wire cloth, comprising a patch of resilient wirecloth, each of a number of the ends of the wires along opposite sidesthereof preformed into an attaching element disposed at an obtuse angleto the plane of said patch, and the normal spacing between said elementsalong one side and said elements along said opposite side requiringtemporary shortening thereof for movement of said elements through themesh and behind spaced wires of the cloth to be repaired, saidresilience of the patch wires urging said elements to their normallyspaced positions and resisting movement of said elements from saidpositions behind said wires of the cloth to be repaired.

9. Means for repairing wire cloth, comprising a patch of resilient wirecloth, each of a number of the ends of wires along one side thereofpreformed into an out-turned hook, including a shank, and each of anumber of the ends of wires along the opposite side thereof preformedinto an out-turned hook each shank of which is materially longer thanthe shanks of said firstnamed hooks, and the ends of the wires along theopposite remaining sides of the patch disposed at an obtuse angle to theplane of the patch and of a length shorter than said shanks of saidfirst-named hooks.

SIDNEY R. GIT'IENS.

